Jenna, Queen of Ninjas
by Dracobolt
Summary: Jenna goes on a journey to become the Queen of Ninjas. What perils will she face along the way? And will she be able to make all the sacrifices required to fulfill her dream? [Oneshot]


Diclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun. It belongs to Nintendo and Camelot.

* * *

It was here. The day she had been training for had arrived. Finally she, Jenna, was ready to become the Queen of Ninjas. She twirled her twin swords expertly and tossed them in the air. While they were up there, she pulled out three knives and juggled them for a moment before resheathing them. The swords fell back down, and she grabbed them and sheathed those as well. Jenna stood there a moment, savoring her triumph.

"Hey, Jenna," said Felix, poking his head out of a back window on their house, "Mom said to take off the ninja clothes and come in for dinner." He had to duck to avoid the shuriken that flew his way.

"Tell Mom that I can't eat now. I have to go and become the Queen of Ninjas."

Felix disappeared from the window for a few minutes. He returned and said, "Mom says to be sure to dress warm, and to be sure to eat your vegetables, and to not talk to strangers." He looked at her strangely. "You're really going to leave Vale?"

"I must," Jenna said, bowing her head. "It is a matter of honor. While my sensei lay dying from an attack by rogue ninjas all those years ago, he made me promise to avenge his death. I was to defeat his killers and become the Queen of Ninjas. He then gave me these swords so that he could, in a way, have his vengeance through me. I cannot back down from this."

"Um, Jenna," said Felix. "You never had a sensei. Garet gave you those swords for your birthday two weeks ago." He ducked again, but not quickly enough, for the shuriken cut off his ponytail. "Augh! No! This took years to grow!" He fell out of sight, sobbing.

"That's what happens when you mess with the Queen of Ninjas!" Jenna cried, laughing. She strode through Vale, paying no attention to all the people who gave her strange looks. Well, no attention other than to throw the odd shuriken. She reached the plaza and was about to leave town when Isaac called out to her. He and Garet ran over to her.

"Jenna, Felix said we needed to stop you," Isaac told her. He looked her over. "I guess you think you're a ninja, huh?"

"I don't _think_ I'm a ninja, Isaac, I _am_ a ninja," Jenna told him coldly. "Now, I suggest you don't bother me any more, or I'll be force to deal with you."

Garet snickered. "Yeah, I'm sure. Come on, Jenna, you might be able to fight with a sword, but you could never beat me and Isaac. We're the best sword fighters in Vale!"

Jenna drew her swords. "Prepare to be annihilated!" she said, mentally congratulating herself on coming up with such a cool battle phrase. Isaac and Garet looked at each other, shrugged, and drew their swords as well.

"We don't want to hurt you, Jenna," Isaac told her. "We just want to stop you from doing something crazy."

"It is I who will be stopping you," she cried. She dashed forward, slashing at Isaac's stomach with one blade. He blocked the attack, but Jenna hit him upside the head with the other sword. He fell unconscious from the force of her blow. Jenna turned to Garet. He was amazed at her speed and skill.

Jenna faced down her friend, her expression merciless. Garet gulped, then dropped his sword. "I can't fight you, Jenna," said Garet. "You're my best friend, and... and I love you. I couldn't attack you and live with myself." He stood his ground, frightened but resolute.

Jenna lowered her swords in exasperation. "If you couldn't fight me, then why didn't you say so before and save me some trouble?" She sheathed her weapons and started out of Vale.

"Je-Jenna," Garet started, "didn't you hear me? I said I love you! Don't you love me, too? Jenna? Jenna!" He dropped to his knees and shook his fist at the heavens. "How could this happen? Nooooooo!"

* * *

Jenna traveled for days. Her ninja sensei - who _did_ exist, no matter what Felix said - had told her that Xian was the secret ninja base. That was her destination. As she traveled, Jenna occasionally ran into other ninjas, whom she defeated in single combat. Okay, they were civilian trade caravans that she robbed at knife point. Same difference. And she was entitled to stuff, anyway, being the Queen of Ninjas. Yes, she thought while sitting astride her newly acquired horse, it was good to be the ninja queen. 

Later that day, a building appeared in the distance. As Jenna rode closer, she saw that it was a temple situated next to a waterfall. Jenna vaguely remembered seeing it from a distance during her travels with Saturos and Menardi. She spurred the horse forward, eager to see what it was like up close.

The temple was smaller than she'd thought. It was built on a ledge of a mountain, and all around it were monks deep in meditation. Jenna dismounted at the foot of the mountain and tied her horse to a tree branch. She approached a monk who was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed.

"Hey, you!" Jenna said loudly, startling the little man. He fell over backwards and, glaring at her, sat upright again.

"Yes?" asked the monk, annoyed. "I'm trying to attain enlightenment here."

"Well, so-orry," Jenna said. "What is this place?"

"This," said the monk, "is Fuchin Temple. Do you have business here?"

"Are there any ninjas here?"

"Well, that term is sometimes used to describe those of us who use our skills to fight, but we are really a peaceful order..." The monk trailed off as Jenna stuck one of her swords through him.

"Do not underestimate me," Jenna told the dying man. That was a good phrase, too. She thought she ought to start writing those catch phrases down before she forgot them. But first, she must show these imposter ninjas that they could not oppose the Queen of Ninjas. Jenna ran up the dirt road leading to the temple, her twin swords two identical blurs as they decapitated monks right and left. None of them even saw her coming as she made her assault, that's how skilled she was. Finally, Jenna stood before the head monk

The man was deep in meditation when Jenna arrived. Upon hearing her footsteps, the man opened his eyes and stared tranquilly at Jenna. "Young one, your heart is troubled," he said. Jenna frowned and shook her head. The monk spoke again. "There is yet time for you to be redeemed. Turn away from this dark path which you pursue."

"I cannot," Jenna said softly. "My sensei made me promise."

The monk glowed briefly. He used some Psyenergy to read Jenna's mind. "What sensei?" the monk asked. "You never had a sensei. You decided to be a ninja two weeks ago when your friend gave you those swords for your birthda- argh!" Jenna slammed her sword through the man's throat. Then she turned and ran back to where her horse was waiting, tears blurring her vision.

* * *

The next day, Jenna rode into Xian. This was where the ninjas had their base. In order to become the Queen of Ninjas, she would have to defeat their current leader. Jenna dismounted and tied her horse to a hitching post. She strode through the town, ignoring the strange looks that people gave her. Well, except for hurling the occasional shuriken, that is. She easily found the dojo where all the ninjas would be hanging out. "Master Feh's School of Chi," Jenna read from a sign by the door. She shrugged and went in. 

Inside the dojo, a middle-aged man was lecturing a group of kids. He paused when he heard Jenna enter.

"Hello, and welcome to Master Feh's School of Chi. I'm Master Feh. May I help you?" he asked.

"Are you the leader of these ninjas?" asked Jenna, her voice cold.

"Well, we're not exactly ninjas, but I am in charge here," Master Feh told her. "Do you want to train with us?"

Jenna took a deep breath, then said, "I am Jenna. I wish to be the Queen of Ninjas. To attain that title, I must defeat the current leader of the ninjas."

Master Feh shook his head. "I'm afraid that you're mistaken. You see, we're not actual ninjas. Our ancestors were, but we have turned to more peaceful ways and fight only in self-defense."

"If you will not face me in combat, I will have no choice but to eliminate you," Jenna told him. Master Feh merely laughed and turned back to his students. That was a mistake. Jenna drew her swords and stuck them both in his back. Master Feh fell forward and writhed on the floor for several seconds before going still. The students screamed and several tried to leave.

"Not so fast!" Jenna shouted, waving her bloody swords at the students. "You little punks are my servants now, servants of the Queen of Ninjas. Now shut up. And someone go get me a beer or something." There was silence, and one boy ran towards the back room, presumably to fetch Jenna's beer. Jenna sat down on a stool and began to wipe her swords clean. "Yep, I could really get used to being the Queen of Ninjas." She paused her sword cleaning for a moment to point at one chubby kid who was standing with the other students. "Hey, you! Drop and give me twenty!" The boy looked confused. "That's push-ups, dummy! C'mon, get to work!" The boy began doing push-ups immediately, obviously fearing for his life. Jenna returned to cleaning her weapons with a disgusted sigh. "Kids these days. I obviously have my work cut out for me."

Just then the door to the back room opened. "Back with my beer yet, kid?" Jenna called. "I'm thirsty. Killing people takes a lot out of you, you know."

"I am no kid," said a girl's voice, "and you will pay for killing my father."

Jenna furrowed her brow, trying to recall where she had heard that voice before. Her memory was jogged when the speaker stepped into view. "Hey," Jenna said, "you're that purple haired chick who gave Felix that one ring. You thought he was Isaac or something."

"Shut up, you murderer. My name is Feizhi. You killed my father. Prepare to die!" Feizhi took a battle stance. She carried no weapon, but one could tell just by looking that she was skilled at unarmed combat.

"That's a rather good catch phrase," Jenna told her. "You mind if I write it down?" Feizhi growled and launched an attack, throwing several lightning-fast punches. Jenna narrowly dodged them all and attacked Feizhi with both swords. Feizhi dodged one blade and caught the other between the palms of her hands. She used Jenna's distraction from that to kick her. Jenna fell to the floor. Feizhi aimed another kick at her opponent, but Jenna was ready for her, stabbing upwards with a sword and skewering Feizhi. Jenna stood and let the other girl slide off of the blade. There were several thumps as some students fainted, as well as crying.

"I have done it," Jenna whispered. "Sensei, I have avenged you. No longer do your killers run free. I am now the Queen of Ninjas."

Suddenly an apparition appeared. It was an old man with white hair and spectacles. He, too, wore ninja garb, and he had a large sword strapped to his back.

"Kraden-sensei!" Jenna gasped, letting her swords drop. She ran to embrace him. "How? How are you here now?"

"Jenna, I've come to take you home," said Kraden.

"Ah! Am I dead, as well?"

"No! I'm taking you back home to Vale. Your mother's furious."

"But she said I could go," Jenna said. "But, Kraden-sensei, how is it that you are alive?"

"I was never dead," Kraden told Jenna. "I was just drunk. So were you, remember? It was your 19th birthday party, and Piers raided my liquor stash. Pretty soon we were all quite smashed. Then somebody found my books about ninjas and you were gone."

Jenna nodded slowly as it all came back to her. Then she looked around the dojo at the two dead bodies and at the crying children. "Oops..."

"Oops is right," Kraden said. "Pretty soon they'll form a lynch mob. I'd hate to be you then."

Jenna grabbed her two swords and ran for the door. She paused before leaving."Um, Kraden? Why are _you_ dressed like a ninja?"

"Because, Jenna," said the old man, "There is still much you need to learn. Come with me and I will teach you how to be a true ninja!" He struck a pose.

"Yeah, you know what? That's okay. I'm gonna go now," said Jenna, and so she did. She mounted her horse and rode off into the sunset. Then she realized that she was going in the wrong direction and turned her horse around.

Kraden, meanwhile, was still at the dojo. He and the children were just looking at one another. Finally, one of the children, the boy Jenna had forced to do push-ups, spoke. "Mister, can you really teach people to be ninjas?"

"That's right," said Kraden, with a kindly smile.

"Please stay and be our sensei!" one child cried. The sentiment was echoed by the rest, so Kraden stayed in Xian to teach ninja classes.

* * *

"What are you doing to my sister?" 

Jenna awoke to Felix yelling. It was, she thought, rather early in the morning for him to be shrieking about stuff. Rubbing her eyes, she looked up and saw her brother holding Garet off the floor by his shirt.

"Geez, Felix," said Garet angrily, trying to free himself, "I wasn't doing nothing to her. We were just reading comic books together last night and we must have drifted off to sleep."

Felix looked ready to say something else, but then he saw that Jenna was awake. He dropped Garet, who managed to keep his balance. The two boys glared at each other a moment longer, then Felix turned and stalked out of the room, clearly still angry.

"What was that about?" Jenna asked Garet. "Did Felix think you were trying to molest me in my sleep or something?"

"Who knows?" Garet muttered, staring at the doorway where Felix had been. "He's so damn overprotective, Jenna."

Jenna patted her bed. "Sit down, Garet. We were in the middle of Ninja Adventure Squad, right? Let's finish it up."

"Okay," Garet said, picking up the comic and sitting down next to Jenna. "It was just getting good, too." He flipped through the comic, looking for where they had left off. "Let's see. Karen had just left her village on her quest to become the Ninja Master, after spurning her childhood sweetheart... Nope, we were farther along than that. Did we get to the part where she kills some random warrior monks, then angst about it?"

"Yeah," said Jenna, somewhat distracted. She couldn't help but think that she'd heard this story before, but that wasn't possible because this issue had just come out the other day, and she and Garet had decided to read it together.

"Okay, I think we were at the part where she's just killed the leader of the ninjas, and she thinks she's the Ninja Master, but then the guy's daughter comes and challenges her to a fight- hey! What're you doing?"

Jenna had grabbed the comic book from Garet and was now paging through the ending scenes. It was all here, just like in her dream. Down to the fat kid doing push-ups, the story was identical to what she'd dreamed the night before. Jenna handed the comic back to Garet, her hands shaking slightly.

Noticing the confused expression on her face, Garet asked, "Jenna, what's the matter?"

Jenna took a couple of deep breaths, then said, "Garet, I dreamed all of that last night, the whole comic. Every little thing that happened in Ninja Adventure Squad happened to me."

"So?" he asked. "We were reading it before you fell asleep. That must've influenced your dreams."

"Yeah, but my dream matched the comic's ending perfectly, and we hadn't gotten that far."

"Creepy," Garet remarked, and they sat on Jenna's bed in silence, trying to puzzle out the mystery they faced. Several minutes passed, then suddenly Jenna's window shattered inwards in an explosion of glass. Garet shielded her with his body, and when the glass had all fallen, they both looked cautiously over at the window. Standing there amid the shards of glass was Kraden, dressed in black ninja garb. He had a large sword strapped to his back, and a bandolier of knives was strapped around his chest.

"Kraden? What the hell are you doing here?" Garet asked him. "Why'd you break the window like that? We could have been hurt!"

"I've come for Jenna. It is her destiny to become a ninja master." He turned to Jenna. "You must come with me and fulfill your destiny."

Jenna hung back. "Um, I don't know. I don't want to go around killing people."

"Come on, Jenna," Kraden said, extending his hand to her. "Let's not make this any harder than it needs to be."

"Okay, now you're just scaring me," she said. "Go away, Kraden!"

An evil grin appeared on the scholar's usually benevolent face. "That's it. We've passed the point of no return. No backward glances! Our games of make-believe are at an end!" There was a puff of smoke, and where Kraden had stood a moment before stood Alex.

"Alex!" Jenna gasped. "So all of this was your doing?"

"Yes, Jenna," said Alex, gloating. "After freeing myself from the rubble of Mt. Aleph, I was determined to exact my revenge on you all. Especially you, Jenna. I had such hopes for our love, but now I find you with this blockhead the moment my back is turned."

"Wait a second," Jenna said. "I never loved you. You were always trying to peek at me when I bathed; why would I go for a pervert?"

Alex shrugged. "Mia liked it well enough."

"Too much information," Jenna said. "Now, why were you disguised as ninja Kraden?"

"Ah, I was hoping you'd ask that," Alex said. "It's all part of my devilish plan. You see, after escaping from under Mt. Aleph, I went to Tolbi and started a publishing company. Pretty soon, it was leading the comic industry, and I was making millions of gold. But that wasn't enough. I still had to have my revenge. So, when my company shipped its most recent batch of comics here to Vale, I made sure to put a hypnosis spell on it to trap you, Jenna. My plan was to make you want to become a ninja so that you would join me, thinking I would teach you how to be a ninja. Then I would take you to Tolbi and we would be together forever." Alex finished speaking with a proud grin on his face.

"Of course! It's so simple," said Garet. "Wait, no it's not. It's needlessly complicated."

"Well, it matters not," Alex said. He seized Jenna's arm and pulled her away from Garet. "We're going now."

"Hey!" cried Jenna. "Let me go, Alex!" She tried to pull her arm loose. When that failed, she punched Alex in the face. He cried out in pain, but did not let go.

Garet thought fast. If he couldn't stop Alex, Jenna would be abducted, and who knew what Alex would do to her? He might try to molest her or something. Suddenly, Garet had an idea.

"I'm going to try to molest you now, Jenna," he said in an overly loud voice. "And there's nothing that FELIX can do to stop me!"

Jenna caught on immediately. "Oh, no, I'm being molested!" she shrieked.

Three seconds later, Felix bounded through the door to Jenna's room, blasting everything in sight with bursts of Venus Psyenergy. One blast hit Alex, who released his hold on Jenna. She dropped to the floor, and Garet tackled the Mercury Adept and began punching him in the face. Felix stopped firing Psyenergy and rushed over to his sister.

"Jenna, are you okay?" he asked her, helping her to her feet.

"I'm fine, Felix," she said. "Alex appeared and tried to abduct me. Luckily, Garet called you in here, so I'm fine now."

Alex, by this point, was unconscious, his face a bloody mess. Garet stood up and wiped his hands on his shirt. "Well, that takes care of him. We'll probably want to get the others and figure out what to do with him."

"Garet," Felix said, "I... want to apologize for earlier. I can see now that you wouldn't do anything to hurt Jenna." He turned and walked to the door. "I'll go get the others," he said, and disappeared around the corner.

Jenna turned to Garet. "You might want to get changed. Your clothes are all bloody. You can borrow some of Felix's." She stood on her toes and reached up to kiss him on the cheek. "Thanks for saving me," she said. "Now, why don't you take that loser away? I have to get dressed, too, and I don't want him in here, unconscious or not."

"Um, okay," said Garet, still a bit flustered. He grabbed Alex by the hair and pulled him out of the room. He dropped the unconscious body on the floor, then turned back to Jenna. "Just so you know, I would never let anyone hurt you. You're my best friend, and... and I love you. If anything happened to you, I couldn't live with myself." Garet was more than a little surprised with himself. He hadn't actually meant to say that, but it had just felt right.

"Yeah, I know," she said, blushing slightly.

"You do?" Garet asked, surprised again. "Oh. Well. Well, that's good." He grabbed Alex's hair again.

Jenna rolled her eyes. "Just kiss me already. I have to get changed." Garet dropped Alex again, heedless of how the Mercury Adept's head hit the floor with a cracking sound. He gathered Jenna in his arms and the two of them kissed. When they broke apart, Garet once again seized Alex by the hair.

"I'll let you get ready. Felix will probably be back soon."

"Yeah," Jenna said, then giggled. "Oh boy. Just wait until Felix hears that you kissed me. Ten gold says that he has a heart attack."

"Er, do we have to tell him?" Garet asked nervously. "I don't really want to die just yet."

"Whatever," Jenna said, rolling her eyes. "Just take Alex downstairs and get changed, okay?" She stepped back into her room and closed the door. Once inside, Jenna lay back on her bed and closed her eyes, smiling. This was shaping up to be a good day. Felix and Garet had made up, Alex had been captured, and Garet had said he loved her. She'd take this over being a ninja queen any day.

* * *

Okay, that's that. Thanks to Joker for helping me out with this. Please review and let me know what you thought. Mindless praise and constructive criticism are both welcome, though I'd prefer the latter. Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed Picard and the Mary Sue. Until next time! 


End file.
